How long has it been since the Detroit Tigers were able to celebrate an American League Central Division crown?

When catcher Alex Avila squeezed his mitt around the final out of a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, it clinched the Tigers’ fourth AL Central championship in four seasons (with the 2014 title coming by a mere game over the Kansas City Royals ), an event heralded by the Freep headlines, “FOUR-PEAT!” and “Bring on the Orioles.”

Since then?

Well, the O’s were, indeed, brought; they broomed the Tigers out of the postseason in three games, sending the franchise cratering toward a decade-long rebuild that finally ended with last season’s wild-card berth.

Just two players who appeared in that clincher against Minnesota – Twins sta

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